NASCAR 150 Thoughts

It's Duel day!

Since the Shootout NASCAR has mandated changes cars to slow them, and to reduce the two car hook-ups that dominated that race.

Changes have been made to the cooling systems; a smaller grille opening and a "pop off valve" all designed to make the engines overheat quicker. In theory this should stop the cars bump drafting lap after lap as the pushing cars engine will overheat, making the two car hook-ups a method of overtaking, not a way of just running round as in the Shootout. 

NASCAR have also reduced the restrictor plate size by one-64th of an inch, to 57-64ths. This has already dropped speeds from the 206mph in the Shootout to 200mph in practice.

I think it is a shame they didn't run the 150's with the bigger plate to see what effect the cooling system changes would have made on their own, but NASCAR obviously wanted to slow the cars as well as limit the two car drafting.

One thing has been bothering me since the Shootout... the yellow line rule. Should Denny Hamlin have been penalised for going under the yellow line when he was alongside Ryan Newman above the line. I am still of the opinion that the driver should not be allowed to jump below the yellow line to advance your position. However, on the run to the flag, if a driver pulls out and is alongside the other car above the line, should they be penalised if they are forced under the line by the other driver? Put it another way, drivers should not be allowed to block! Bearing in mind what happened 10 years ago this should go without saying!

Its also great to see the new Nationwide cars at Daytona. It is a pity that the new square fronts of the Challenger and Mustang are limiting speeds... to 200mph!! Cool!!

Gatorade Duel Race No. 1 Lineup - 
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 186.089
2. Paul Menard No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 185.422
3. Ryan Newman No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 185.002
4. Mark Martin No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 184.991
5. Tony Stewart No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 184.911
6. Kurt Busch No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge 184.896
7. Juan Pablo Montoya No. 42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 184.763
8. Marcos Ambrose No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 184.748
9. Kevin Harvick No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 184.740
10. Jimmie Johnson No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 184.687
11. Bill Elliott No. 09 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 184.532
12. AJ Allmendinger No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 184.290
13. Joe Nemechek No. 87 Nemco Motorsports Toyota 184.222
14. Matt Kenseth No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford 184.102
15. Dave Blaney No. 36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 183.793
16. Regan Smith No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 183.681
17. Kasey Kahne No. 4 Red Bull Racing Toyota 183.602
18. Bobby Labonte No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 183.576
19. Brian Vickers No. 83 Red Bull Racing Toyota 183.557
20. Kevin Conway No. 97 Nemco Motorsports Toyota 182.949
21. David Gilliland No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford 182.697
22. Michael McDowell No. 66 HP Racing Toyota 182.434
23. JJ Yeley No. 46 Whitney Motorsports Chevrolet 180.977
24. Andy Lally No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet 180.828

Gatorade Duel Race No. 2 Lineup -
1. Jeff Gordon No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 185.966
2. Trevor Bayne No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford 185.445
3. Clint Bowyer No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 185.223
4. Jeff Burton No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 185.071
5. Greg Biffle No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford 184.911
6. David Ragan No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing 184.612
7. Carl Edwards No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford 184.475
8. Travis Kvapil No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford 184.271
9. David Reutimann No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 184.019
10. Brad Keselowski No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge 184.008
11. Michael Waltrip No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 183.966
12. Jamie McMurray No. 1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 183.685
13. Kyle Busch No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 183.595
14. Martin Truex Jr. No. 56 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 183.456
15. Joey Logano No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 183.206
16. Todd Bodine No. 60 Germain Racing Toyota 183.057
17. Casey Mears No. 13 Germain Racing Toyota 182.867
18. Steve Wallace No. 77 Rusty Wallace Racing Toyota 182.574
19. Robby Gordon No. 7 Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge 182.120
20. Terry Labonte No. 32 FAS Lane Racing Ford 181.492
21. Robert Richardson No. 37 Front Row Motorsports Ford 181.466
22. Denny Hamlin No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 181.316
23. Derrike Cope No. 64 Max Q Toyota 177.894
24. Brian Keselowski No. 92 K-Automotive Dodge 177.581